Expansio valve of refrigerating apparatus

Abstract

An expansion valve capable of reducing refrigerant passing noise by miniaturizing air bubbles in a gas-liquid two-phase refrigerant flowing in the expansion valve without decreasing the adjusting range of the opening adjusting function of an orifice and a refrigerating apparatus using the expansion valve. The expansion valve comprises a valve body ( 1 ), two ports ( 2 ) and ( 3 ) formed, as the inlet and outlet of the refrigerant, in the valve body ( 1 ), the orifice ( 5 ) formed in the refrigerant passage ( 4 ), and a turbulent part ( 6 ) causing turbulence in the flow of the refrigerant formed in the refrigerant passage ( 4 ) on the upstream side of the orifice ( 5 ).

1 . An expansion valve for arrangement in a refrigerant circuit of a refrigerating apparatus, the expansion valve comprising: 
 a valve chamber;    an inlet, formed in the valve chamber and connected to an upstream refrigerant pipe, for drawing a refrigerant flow into the valve chamber;    an outlet, formed in the valve chamber and connected to a downstream refrigerant pipe, for discharging the refrigerant flow from the valve chamber;    a refrigerant passage formed between the inlet and outlet in the valve chamber;    an orifice for variably controlling the flow rate of the refrigerant flow in the refrigerant passage; and    a turbulent portion for causing turbulence in the refrigerant flow in the refrigerant passage upstream of the orifice.    
   
   
       2 . The expansion valve according to  claim 1 , wherein the orifice includes a valve seat, which is formed in the valve chamber and has a valve hole, and a valve element for adjusting an open amount of the valve hole.  
   
   
       3 . The expansion valve according to  claim 2 , wherein the turbulent portion is formed by ridges and valleys in either one of an inner surface of the valve chamber or an outer surface of the valve element.  
   
   
       4 . The expansion valve according to  claim 3 , wherein the turbulent portion is formed in the outer surface of the valve element.  
   
   
       5 . The expansion valve according to  claim 3 , wherein the turbulent portion is formed in the inner surface of the valve chamber.  
   
   
       6 . The expansion valve according to  claim 4  or  5 , wherein the turbulent portion is a spiral groove.  
   
   
       7 . The expansion valve according to  claim 1 , wherein the turbulent portion is formed by a meandering passage formed by meandering the refrigerant passage upstream of the orifice between the valve element and the valve seat.  
   
   
       8 . The expansion valve according to  claim 7 , wherein the meandering passage includes an axial passage, which guides the refrigerant flow in an axial direction of the valve element between the valve element and a wall surface of the valve chamber, and an oblique passage, which obliquely changes the direction of the refrigerant flow from the axial passage.  
   
   
       9 . The expansion valve according to  claim 8 , wherein the oblique passage is formed by a recess formed in a distal surface of the valve element and a projection formed in the valve seat, the recess and the projection having opposed, spaced surfaces extending substantially parallel to each other.  
   
   
       10 . The expansion valve according to  claim 1 , wherein the turbulent portion includes a gap for varying a cross-sectional area of the refrigerant passage.  
   
   
       11 . The expansion valve according to  claim 1 , wherein the refrigerant passage includes a gap enlarging a passage cross-sectional area between the turbulent portion and the orifice.  
   
   
       12 . The expansion valve according to  claim 1 , wherein the turbulent portion is formed upstream and downstream of the valve seat in the refrigerant passage.  
   
   
       13 . The expansion valve according to  claim 12 , wherein the valve element and the valve chamber are formed upstream and downstream of the valve seat in the refrigerant passage, the turbulent portion is formed in an inner wall surface of each of the valve chambers or an outer surface of each of the valve elements, and the two valve elements are connected by a shaft extending through the valve hole of the valve seat.  
   
   
       14 . A refrigerating apparatus employing the expansion valve according to any one of the  claims 1  to  5  and  7  to  13 .